For years, Ian Sands has enjoyed his life as a bachelor, taking advantage of singlehood and exploring his own definition of passion-whoever she may be. Blonde. Brunette. Tall. Short. Hot. Not. Five months ago, all that changed. Ian's been celibate, frustrated and desperately seeking answers to why one woman, who doesn't play by girls' rules, haunts his every waking moment. As a renovations specialist, Taylor Marsh lives, works and breathes construction-a profession her southern belle of a mother would rather Taylor not touch. The same goes for Ian; Mama Marsh would never approve of him. Like Ian, though, each time he and Taylor draw near, something compels her to get closer. Something else tells her to run away. Fast. As much as their histories suggest they shouldn't be together, neither Taylor nor Ian can deny the pull, and the two succumb, indulging in a relationship that brings pleasure to body, mind and soul. Doing so, though, also ushers in a series of events both should have foreseen as well as one final outcome neither expected.
Aimee is a romantic at heart and a southern transplant with a bit of the accent (but not a whole bunch). She's married to her high school sweetheart, and with him, she's produced three native North Carolinians, two of whom share the same DNA.
With an MBA and a degree in Applied Mathematics, there’s absolutely no reason she should be writing romance novels. Then again, she shouldn't need a calculator to add two numbers, either ... but she does.
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Ms Laine’s writing, and I’m certainly a big fan of the first book of the Games of Zeus series: Hide & Seek. To be honest, when I picked Silent Echoes up to read, I was somewhat concerned about it living up to the first book. Because Tripp Fox is pretty much my ultimate book boyfriend and has been for a while. However, I needn’t have worried, because Silent Echoes turned out to be everything I wanted it to be and then some. I would even go so far as to say Tripp almost had a replacement—almost (come on, this is Tripp!). Yep, SE has a lot going for it, and I shall attempt to organise what I think that it in my words. Strong MC’s. Check. Taylor is tough whilst being vulnerable, relatable, charming, and there were a good few moments where I wanted to be her (I’ll let you guess which ones). And Ian? Oh, yeah, baby. Bear with me whilst I ramble (coz I’m always all about the guys). We get an introduction to Ian in Hide & Seek, and he comes across as sarcastic, a little brash, maybe conceited but not in an unattractive way, and if he hangs around with Tripp Fox, then he has to be cool and hot (in my head, anyway). In Hide & Seek, he was kinda Tripp’s witty sidekick. In Silent Echoes? Yeah, total role reversal, because Ian 100% holds his own in the spotlight. Mystery and intrigue. Check. Yep, there is mystery throughout this book that unfolds slowly, with twists and turns, and the reader can’t help but trying to figure it out right up till the very end. Thriller-ness. Check. Tying in with that mystery, there are a few moments of revelation that lead to excitement and action and keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Romance. Massive check. That mystery and intrigue and thriller-ness I mentioned? Yep, the romance is all a-tangled up in every bit of that because the romance aspect of it is the biggest mystery of all ... until everything becomes clear. And boy, does Ms Laine know how to write romance. She’ll have you swooning and mooning and sighing and ... you get the picture. Ian. What? He deserved another mention. :P To wrap it up: Silent Echoes is a GREAT addition to this series and has left me mightily eager for more.
Reincarnation, lost love, deceit, jealousy, murder, hot steamy - this book has it all. Another great story by Ms. Laine. I love her writing style & voice. She's distinctive in a cliche genre.
Let's dive right in.
Yummies: LOVED how flashes from the past play throughout this story, how the plot is revealed to us readers while the characters are clueless.
The setting is so richly described. Perhaps the author is well acquainted with the Carolinas??? hehehe
The mysterious elements are awesome, with just enough revealed each chapter so you just HAVE to know what the heck & how the heck. And the creep factor later on in the book ... creepy!
As for characters - LOVE me some Ian, that's for sure. Love how he & Taylor are total opposites. One city & clean, the other country & a contractor - opposite roles of what you're thinking, trust me! Gives a nice unique change for romance IMO.
Yuckies: I'm going to premise this part by stating that Hide & Seek (GoZ #1) absolutely rocked. LOVED it. HERE is my 5 star review. Silent Echoes, while just as well written, just didn't connect with me as well. The tension - external conflict - wasn't as evident, and didn't drive the plot forward. It was more the mystery that kept me interested. While this is a good thing, honestly it hindered that feeling of 'I have to finish this book in 1 sitting!!!'. Just wasn't quite AMAZING! for me.
And lets face it - Ian is hot, but he's no Tripp. *wink*
Recommend: Oh heck yes. Anything written my Ms. Laine is WELL WORTH YOUR TIME!
I loved this one! :D It was great to see Tripp and Lexi again, too, and I love that this series is set in the same town in North Carolina as Aimee's other series! Although...I have been expecting mimics to show up, and that hasn't happened yet. :P haha Anyway, I loved this one. :D I really liked Taylor, and Ian is a hunk as always. ;)
"Tripp may have wanted Ian to research Tanner Meadows, but Ian needed to know why, how and what force had tatooed him with a mark that matched the woman who plagued his dreams, his life, his very soul."
There are some books which take me by complete surprise. I begin reading not knowing anything about the story and something draws me in. Silent Echoes actually grabbed me with its opening scene and kept a firm hold on me throughout. What an enthralling read.
This story is part paranormal with people who have powers, mythological with references to Zeus and game playing, fantastical with tree of life tattoos, spiritual with the reincarnation angle and a good helping of humor. Taylor is a Southern girl, Ian is from New York, and when they meet at a wedding, neither can forget the other. They don't see each other again for months but when they do, that niggling feeling is back. The more time they spend together, the stronger the feeling they know each other/need to be together gets.
There's a lot going on in this story. Suffice it to say Taylor has some serious skills, Ian relies on his senses and knowledge, and there's this mystery of how they know about each other from previous lives. Along their journey, there are arrests, revelations, discoveries, admissions, separation and a growing love between two people which cannot be denied, even by the power of a Greek god.
"A hero and his soul mate. The Prince and the rescued princess."
It is hard to talk about Silent Echoes without giving too much away. I thoroughly enjoyed the story even though I did not read the first book in this series (I wasn't aware of it at the time and now I want to). There was enough background given so I could understand. Author Aimee Laine has a wonderful style of writing. She gives the reader what they need to know and makes her characters stand out. There was an amazing cast of characters, from the leading figures of Taylor and Ian, Tripp, his wife and sister-in-law, Ian's family, a trio of men from Taylor's past and others. The dialogue was crisp, the fantastical touches held my interest, and the twists kept me reading up late into the night. I've read stories about reincarnation but Laine has created something fresh, invigorating and unique here.
Silent Echoes has so much going for it--paranormal abilities, mythological mysteries, and an unconventional romance featuring a couple which defines the term "soul mates." I can't say I've read anything quite like this novel and that's a good thing. A very good thing. Highly recommended. (http://www.readergirlsblog.com/2013/0...)
Do you ever feel such a powerful attraction to someone, like you’ve known them for so long, but they are a stranger to you? Can you really rule out the possibility of a past life? Open up your eyes, and your heart, to a situation that is truly hard to believe, but for Taylor and Ian, it may be the only explanation. Now, if only they could keep out of trouble or harm’s way long enough to sort through this strange mystery….
Taylor is one of those women you don’t want to mess with. What a great leading lady. She has a slight fragile tone to her, but she’s really anything but. Taylor’s had a past that is a bit bumpy, and things aren’t getting better at the moment. She has strange fears, and dreams that she only wishes she could come to understand, and Ian, the stranger that he is, seems so familiar, too. But things aren’t going to be made easy for Taylor. Does that mean she’s going to go down without a fight? Oh, no. Definitely not. C’mon, Taylor, beat the odds!
Ian can’t explain his odd fixation on Taylor, he just knows he wants to be near her, with her, around her. He can’t stop thinking about her, even though he can’t explain why. He too, has to open his mind to the unimaginable. With every step of trouble Taylor walks into, Ian isn’t far behind, saving her, over and over. There are secrets to uncover, and neither of them will enjoy rehashing the past.
From the beginning, I had a huge interest in this story. The pace starts out a bit slow, but it definitely picks up, keeping up the hype and the suspense about Taylor and Ian. It only gets more intense as the book goes on. With a well crafted plot, very well done characters, and plenty of mystery to keep things on the edge, Silence Echoes is one of those stories that weaves the reader in and keeps a tight hold. You should see my hands…a little red with the grip marks.
From what I gathered, this may be the second book in a series. Some of the characters seemed like they had a story prior. Regardless, I wasn’t pulled away from it or confused, so if it Is a series, it’s not extremely important that they be read in order.
For a great mystery, a mix of paranormal, and a heck of a romance all bundled into one book, you should give Silent Echoes a chance.
"Those before her are silent but echo through your soul along with traces of other gifts."
Aimee Laine is a new author to me. I had not read her first book Hide & Seek (Games of Zeus # 1) before reading Silent Echoes. I probably should since two secondary, but important characters (Tripp Fox and Emma Fox) are featured prominently in this book. Silent Echoes is a cross between Greek Mythology (Zeus playing games with humans who have talents), smexy romance, mystery and a bit of suspense blended in.
The two main characters are Taylor Marsh and Ian Sands. Right off the bat you could tell that there was some chemistry between the characters but the reason for it was undeniably frustrating. Taylor is an awesome character who is thrown into the fire right from the beginning of the book. After discovering a human skull, she is then immediately charged with murder. Enter Ian Sands, as well as Tripp Fox to defend and help clear her name. Taylor ends up discovering that she has a tragic past filled with death and love lost. Someone continues to try to keep her away from her true love over and over again.
There are books where insta-lust drives me to the brink of insanity. In this novel, the insta-love is explained in detail and leaves no question that it makes sense. I enjoyed reading this book. I was wrong on my guessing of who the villain was, but it made sense in the end. Another character I liked was Riley Dale, Taylor's best friend since childhood. He didn't get all jealous or up in your face over Taylor and Ian's budding and blossoming relationship.
I would recommend that you read Hide & Seek first before reading Silent Echoes. But, I think this story can definitely stand on it's own since new characters are introduced. Overall, a pretty fast paced and enjoyable read.
Expected publication: March 11th 2013 by J. Taylor Publishing
I started this without having read the first book in the series and while I don't think I really needed to read the first one, I probably should of just to get the background info on Tripp and Lexi and exactly was Zeus' Game was, but again, I don't think it was necessary. I never felt lost or confused as a lot of the info was stated again throughout the story.
I love stories about reincarnation and love that transcends time. It might be the hopeless romantic in me or maybe it just appeals to me because the stories are always so great, either way, I jumped at the chance to join in the blog tour for this one. Who doesn't love a good love story, mixed up with a centuries old mystery and the gods and goddesses of Greek time?
This was a fun story that kept me entertained and had just enough romance, paranormal and mystery to balance it all out. I never felt like one element overpowered the other.
I did guess early on who the culprit was in the story but that never detered me from enjoying it either and even though I was pretty sure I knew who it was, there were a few times that something would happen and then I had to question my choice.
I think the author did a great job with this, the characters were endearing and the plot entertaining. I would definitely pick up the next in the series.
Dive straight into a mystery that turns into a love triangle of epic proportions! How many times will you die for your true love? Three? Four?
If you read book 1, Hide & Seek, you’ll understand why I was so excited to see Tripp again, so excited I squealed! Tripp Fox fans will be happy to be reunited with him and Lexi in Silent Echoes, even though they don’t take center stage in this story.
Zeus has, yet again, been playing games with us lowly humans. Tripp’s best friend and business partner, Ian, now has his very own story, complete with his own love interest. Ian is an amazing “good guy” and we get to know him a lot better in book 2. We met Taylor in the previous book, as a strong willed and very independent woman. In this story, we learn more about Taylor and what makes her “special”. Finding out her fears and weaknesses makes you relate to her even more. With the help of Tripp and Lexi, can they outsmart Zeus and have their HEA too?
This is the type of book you simply can't get out of your mind. As you read it, you're glued to your Kindle; when you're not reading, you're thinking about what's been happening. It's crazy suspenseful and it makes you want to scream (in a good way, of course) "What's really going on here, Aimee??!!??" Beyond all of this incredible suspense and mystery is a truly beautiful love story. The development of Taylor's and Ian's relationship is perfectly paced. Though they have that supernatural pull, their feelings have a natural progression. The characters and story are just so well written that you're left, jaw dropped, saying, "Wow, just wow."
After reading Hide & Seek, I was super excited to read her next installment to the Games of Zeus. I had the pleasure of reading Silent Echoes before it was available.
With the turn of every page Mrs. Laine captures your attention. Each character has their own personality traits and flaws that make them unique. I fell in love with Taylor and Ian. It was great to learn more about Taylor. Mrs. Laine builds up the suspense therefore, making it impossible to put down. She has entwined a beautiful romance within the mystery and intrigue.
3,5 stars Differently by first book ,that I have loved very much, I was difficult be enthralled of story in Silent echoes. The plot is complex and articulate, but maybe a bit confused, the rapport between mythology and two protagonists don't is very clear and finally there is an inequality between what happens to Taylor and Ian. Practically ,only Taylor revives and remembers facts of past lives and is in danger by first page , while Ian, that is too uptight and snob for my taste, till the end seem not want or accept be in relationship with Taylor. So if reincarnation was the game of Zeus,why the power of Taylor to control the air? Why Ian hasn't any? Still,Ian and Taylor are a fantastic couple,cute, smart but them, just didn't connect with me well, it was more the mystery that I liked in the story that, by the way is written very well.
Loved this one just as much as the first if not more! Enchanting and mysterious, keeps you wondering the whole time. Once again, love the mythology aspect and happy ending.